MG21/MG21E Installation Guide

Front Panel

 

Back Panel

 

 

Side Panels

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Status Indicator

The MG series of devices use an LED to inform the user of the device's status. LED patterns and their meanings are described below.

LED Status Meaning Solid orange Power is applied but the appliance is not connected to the Meraki Dashboard Rainbow Colors The appliance is attempting to connect to Meraki Dashboard Flashing White Firmware upgrade in progress Solid White Fully operational/connected to LAN Solid Purple Fully operational/connected to cellular network

Ethernet Port

The MG21/MG21E features two Ethernet ports. Port 1 can be reconfigured to Safe Mode for troubleshooting and diagnostics. Brand new units will ship with both ports configured as LAN, which is the default, normal operating mode.

The port labeled “PoE” (Port 1) accepts 802.3af power.

 

The non-PoE port (Port 2) may be used to connect a second device to the MG. 

AC Adapter Power Port

In the event that the MG cannot be powered by POE, the MG has an AC adapter port that can be used to power it up with the 30watt (12V 2.5A) AC adapter (sold separately).

Factory Reset

To reset an MG cellular gateway to the factory defaults, press the button labeled 'Reset' on the back panel of the appliance for at least 10 seconds. This will clear all the local configuration settings done via the local status page. Please be aware that after resetting the unit, the local status page requires reconfiguration, and the device will need to download its latest configuration from the dashboard cloud. Please be patient as this could take up to 5 - 10 minutes. 

Package Contents

MG21 (North America)	MG21 (World wide)	MG21E (North America)	MG21E (World wide)
1 x MG21-HW-NA	1 x MG21-HW-WW	1 x MG21E-HW-NA	1 x MG21E-HW-WW
1 x Mounting plate and screw set	1 x Mounting plate and screw set	1 x Mounting plate and screw set	1 x Mounting plate and screw set
		2 x dipole antennas	2 x dipole antennas

Configure the Dashboard Network

The following is a brief overview only of the steps required to add an MG21 to your network. For detailed instructions about creating, configuring and managing Meraki networks, refer to our online documentation portal.

1. Login to http://dashboard.meraki.com and select the intended organization. If this is your first time using the Meraki dashboard, create a new account.

2. Claim the device to your organization inventory. You will need your Meraki order number (found on your invoice) or the serial number of each MG, which looks like Qxxx-xxxx-xxxx, and is found on the bottom of the unit. You will also need to claim your Enterprise license key, which you should have received via email. 

3. Find or create the network to which you plan to add your MG21. 

4. Add your MG21 to the network. 

Check and Set Firmware

To ensure your MG21 performs optimally immediately following installation, it is recommended that you facilitate a firmware upgrade prior to using your MG21.

1. Insert an active nano (4FF) SIM card into the tray before powering up the device.

2. Connect your MG21 to power.

3. The MG21 will turn on and the power LED will glow solid orange until it comes online. 

4. If the unit requires a firmware upgrade after coming online, the power LED will begin blinking white until the upgrade is complete, at which point the LED will turn solid white. You should allow at least a few minutes for the firmware upgrade to complete, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

Check and Configure Upstream Firewall Settings 

If you are testing safe mode on port 1 and have an upstream firewall in place, the firewall must allow outgoing connections on particular ports to specific IP addresses. The most current list of outbound ports and IP addresses for your organization can be found on the Help > Firewall Information page in your dashboard. 

Collect Tools 

You will need the following tools to perform an installation:

                    

T8 Torx screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, Hammer, Drill with 1/4" (6.3mm) bits

 

Collect Additional Hardware for Installation 

You will need the following hardware to perform an installation:

                            

802.3af PoE source (either PoE switch or Meraki 802.3af PoE injector), AC adapter, Network cables RJ45 connectors long enough for your particular mounting location

Mounting Hardware

The supplied wall screws and anchors allow you to mount the appliance on a drywall surface, either vertically or horizontally. For mounting on drywall, use a ¼-inch drill bit, then insert the plastic and screw assemblies.

• For mounting on wood or a similar surface, use only the screws.

• Allow the heads of the screws to stick out far enough to be inserted securely into the back of the MG.

SIM Installation

1. Disconnect power to the MG21.

   2. Unscrew the MG back panel plate to expose the SIM card gasket and slot. Remove SIM gasket and set aside for reinsertion later.

 

   3. Push the tray up and it will click. This unlocks the tray so you can flip up the cage. Insert your activated nano (4FF) SIM card into the SIM card tray.

 

   4. Make sure your SIM card is aligned properly with the notch.

 

   5. Before closing the SIM cage, make sure the the cage is aligned properly. The left picture below shows a cage misalignment. Pressing down with the wrong alignment could damage the cover. The right picture below shows proper cage alignment.

 

   6. Close the SIM cage with proper alignment and lightly press down on the cover. Move the cage down and there should be a click to confirm the cage is locking in the SIM card to the tray.

 

   7. Once the SIM card is locked in, it should stay within the tray.

 

   8. Put the SIM gasket (that was set aside at the beginning) back in the original position. The SIM card installation is now complete.

Connecting to WAN

All Meraki MG devices must have an IP address. This section describes how to configure the WAN interface before you deploy it. A local management web service running on the appliance is accessed through a browser running on a client PC. This web service is used for configuring and monitoring basic ISP/WAN connectivity.

Setting up Cellular Connection

Follow the steps below to configure basic connectivity and other cellular gateway parameters on the MG21:

1. Using a client machine such as a laptop, connect directly to LAN interface of the MG.

2. Find the client's IP address and default gateway. Using a browser on the client machine, access the appliance's built-in web service by browsing to mg.meraki.com or the default gateway IP (You do not have to be connected to the Internet to reach this address).

3. Click the Configuration tab under the Local Status tab. The default credentials are the Serial Number of the device (all upper-case with dashes) as the username and a blank password field.

   4. Configure additional bearer values like APN or SIM PIN if required by your carrier under the Configuration tab. 

Configuring Ethernet Ports

To configure physical link settings on the Ethernet ports, click on Ethernet tab. You can enable half duplex, full duplex, and auto-negotiation, as well as set 10 or 100 or 1000-Mbps data rates on Ethernet ports.

Device power issue

• If device fails to turn on, check the power source to make sure it is adequately supplying power to the MG.

• If there are no LED lights even though there is power at the outlet, check the MG to make sure everything is plugged in properly.

• If device isn't coming after trying both AC adapter and POE, check that the power options also work on other devices in a similar or matching setup.

 

If you are still experiencing hardware issues, please contact Cisco Meraki Support by logging in to dashboard and using the Help > Get Help option at the top of the page, then opening an email case or calling the Meraki Support center using the contact information on that page.